Illuminated name and number sign



July 9, 1957 P. WlTZ ILLUMINATED NAME AND NUMBER SIGN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1956 i I n n u n INVENTOR. W ITZ PH] u P AT O2HEY$ F AT July 9, 1957 P. wn'z ILLUMINATED NAME AND NUMBER SIGN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1956 a s R z M 2 1 Ln 9. D. A u m a my m July 9, 1957 w z 2,798,323

iLLUMINATED NAME AND NUMBER SIGN Filed July 6, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet, s

INVENTOR. THmu P WFI'Z United This invention relates to illuminated signs, and more particularly to a combination porch light and changeable s1gn.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination porch light and changeable sign which is simple in construction, which is easy to install, and which may be employed with a standard porch ceiling fixture holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated changeable sign adapted for use with a standard porch fixture holder, said sign being inexpensive to fabricate, being attractive in appearance, and being arranged so that the indicia thereof may be readily changed, as required.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated changeable sign which is durable in construction, which is easy to install on a standard porch light fixture or similar fixture, and which has high visibility either during the day or at night.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main portion of an improved illuminated sign constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown mounted on a standard porch fixture.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the main housing and associated elements of the improved illuminated sign of Figure 1 with a portion of the housing broken away to show the interior details thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the improved illuminated sign of the present invention, showing a pair of auxiliary indicia-bearing members suspended from the main illuminated sign member. 1 r

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken vertically through theassem bly of Figure 7 on the line 88 of said figure. l V

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the elements of one of the auxiliary indicia-bearing members of Figure 7, the elements beingshown in separated positions.

' Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates the main unit of an illuminated sign according to this invention, said main unit comprising a generally rectangular main housing12 of suitable material, such as sheet metal or the like. The top wall 13 of housing 12 is formed centrally with a large circular aperturev and secured in said circular aperture is an annular upstanding collar element 15 provided with a top head. 18, as shown in Figure 4. The collar .15 is adapted to be engaged in the annular bottom skirt 19 of a standard porch light fixture rates Patent O 2,798,323 Patented July 9, 1957 17 provided with the inwardly directed radial retaining screws 16, the screw 16 being engageable with the collar member 15 in the manner shown in Figure 4 to secure said collar member to the skirt 19 and to support the housing 12 below the fixture 17. As shown in Figure 4, the lamp bulb 20 of the fixture 17 is thus adapted to extend through the collar member 15 into the housing 12.

The bottom wall of housing 12 is formed with the large rectangular opening 21 which extends over the major portion of said bottom wall and which defines an inwardly directed peripheral flange 22 extending around the bottom perimeter of the housing 12. Rigidly secured at 24 to flange 22 at the respective opposite ends of the housing is the end of a resilient rod member 25 formed at its opposite end with a depending ring or loop 26 located adjacent the rear wall 27 of the housing 12. The end portions of flange 22 subjacent the loop 26 are formed with respective slots 28 through which the loops may pass when the rod elements 25 are flexed downwardly, as shown in Figure 8, whereby the loop 26 may be employed to support auxiliary sign members suspended below the rear portion of housing 12, as will be presently described.

The front Wall 29 of'housing 12 is formed with a large rectangular window opening 30 extending for substantially the entire longitudinal length of wall 29 and having the inclined, inwardly directed marginal flange 31 defining the perimeter of the window 30.

Secured to the inside surface of the lower marginal portion of wall 29 adjacent the opposite end wall 32, 32 of the housing 12 are respective angle brackets 33, 33, said angle brackets having the inwardly offset, L-shaped seat portions 34, 34,-as shown in Figure 2. Secured to the inside surfaces of the top wall 13 and the front wall 29 directly above the brackets 33 are angle brackets 36, 36'to whose depending arms are pivoted respective retaining clips 37 which may be rotated, as illustrated in Figure 2, to depending positions vertically aligned with the upstanding arms of the seat elements 34 to retain a rectangular indicia-bearing frame 38 in a position inwardly adjacent the window 30.

The frame 38 comprises a longitudinally extending, vertical rigid strip 40 of suitable material, such as sheet metal or the like, which is arranged parallel to and spaced from a longitudinally extending bottom angle strip 41 and which is secured thereto by a plurality of evenly spaced vertical bar elements 42 of I-shaped cross section. The spaced bars 42 thus define a plurality of receptacles in which may be received respective pairs of rectangular transparent plate members 43 and 44, the bottom edges of said plate members 43 and 44 engaging the horizontal flange of the bottom angle bar 41 of the frame 38.

The member 44 has suitably inscribed thereon a num-.

her or other indicia which is visible through the transparent front plate member 43 associated therewith, said plate member 43 serving as a protective covering for the indicia on the rear plate member 44.

Y The upper strip 4% of frame 38 is formed at its intermediate portion with an upwardly projecting lug or enlargement 45 provided with a hinged, horizontally extendingh'andle 46 by means of which the frame 38 is carried when it. is outside of the housing 12. V The upstanding rear arms 50 of the clip members 33 are preferably somewhat resilient so that the frame 38 may be readily removed'from the seats 33 or replaced therein when the pivoted clip elements 37 are in elevated positions.

When the clip members 37 are rotated to their horiof the seats 33, after which the frame may be angled inside the housing 12 so as to allow one end of the frame to pass through the b'ottonr aperture 21 of housiug lg whereby the frame may be removed from the housing fi any purpose, such as for Changing the indicia-bearing plate members 44. The frame 38 may be replaced in the housing by following a reverse procedure. A

Obviously, the indicia-bearing members 44 may carry any desired indicia, such as numbers, letters, or the like, whereby any desired information may be provided by the device. As illustrated in Figure 1, the indicia may comprise numbers, whereby a house number may be shown by the housing 12.

A number of auxiliary indicia-bearing members may be supported beneath the rear portion of housing 12 so as to be illuminated by the bulb 20 in the housing, along with the indicia on the plate members 44 visible through the window 30. As shown in Figure 7, a pair of auxiliary indicia-bearing members 55, 55 are suspended beneath the housing 12. Each indicia-bearing member 55 comprises a generally rectangular main frame 56 having a vertical rear wall 57, vertical end walls 58, 58 and a horizontal longitudinally extending bottom wall 59. The end walls 58 and the bottom wall 59 are provided with inwardly extending marginal flanges shown at 60 and 61, defining a retaining frame. Rigidly secured to the end walls 53 are the respective bar members 62, 62, said bar members projecting above and below the top and bottom edges of the end walls 58 and being apertured at their upper and lower ends, as shown at 63 and 64. The apertured upper ends of the bar members 62 may engage the lower loops of respective S-shaped link members 65, and the upper loops of similar S-shaped link members may be engaged with the lower apertures 64 for suspending an additional auxiliary indicia-bearing member beneath the first-described auxiliary indicia bearing member 55. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7. The uppermost auxiliary indicia-bearing member 55 is supported from the main housing 12 by engaging the upper loops of its upper S-shaped members 65 with the depending loop elements 26 of the housing, said loop elements being extended through the adjacent slots 28 in the end portions of flange 22 of the housing, as is clearly shown in Figure 8.

Each auxiliary indicia-bearing member 55 is provided with a rectangular top cover element 67 adapted to engage over and receive the upper portions of wall 57 and end walls 58, 58, as well as the upper portions of the flange elements 60, the cover members 67 being formed at their opposite ends with transverse slots 68 through which the apertured top portions of the bars 62pass.

Disposed in the receptacle defined by rear wall 57, bottom wall 59 and end walls 58, 58 is a generally rectangular supporting channel member 69 having a forwardly facing longitudinally extending main groove 70 in which is received an opposing longitudinally extending channel member 71. Indicia elements, such as letters 72 are engaged against the face of the channel member 71, said indicia elements being provided with top and bottom lugs 73 which are receivable between the top and bottom flange of channel member 71 and the respective top and bottom hollow flange elements 74 and 75 of the main supporting channel 70. A rectangular transparent protective plate member76 is provided in the receptacle defined by the main body of the auxiliary indicia-bearing member 55, covering the indicia elements 72 and providing protection for same against weather or other conditions. The top cover 67 receives the upper marginal portion of the transparent member 76, as well as the other above described portions of the indicia-bearing member 55 to retain the parts in assembled relationship.

As shown in Figure 7, the uppermost auxiliary indiciabearing member 55 may be employed to furnish auxiliary information, such as the'narne of the street, and the next lower auxiliary indicia-bearing member 55 may be employed to furnish the name of the person occupying the premises, or any other pertinent information. As will 4 indicia-bearing members 55 may be suspended from the main housing 12. In each case, the lamp 20 in the main housing illuminates all of the suspended auxiliary indiciabearing members, as well as the window 30 of main housing 12.

As will be further apparent, the indicia characters on the auxiliary indicia-bearing members 55, 55 may be readily changed, as desired, by disassembling said members and replacing the indicia to provide any desired information.

While a specific embodiment of an improved illuminated sign device for use with a porch fixture or similar standard fixture has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will 'be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminable changeable sign device comprising a main housing having a top wall, front and rear Walls, end walls and a bottom wall, said top wall being formed with an opening to receive the bulb of a light fixture therethrough, an upstanding collar on said top wall around said opening for securing said housing to thefixture, said front wall being formed with a window, seat means in the housing adjacent said window, an indiciasupporting frame engaged in said seat means, transparent indicia-carrying elements removably mounted in said frame, said bottom wall being formed with a relatively large aperture, respective resilient supporting rods secured in the main housing at its opposite end portions, said bottom wall being formed with slots beneath said supporting rods, vertical loops on the ends of said rods engageable through said slots responsive to downward flexture of the rods, and an auxiliary indicia-bearing member suspended on said loops beneath the housing.

2. An illuminable changeable sign device comprising a main housing having a top wall, front and rear walls, end walls and a bottom wall, said top wall being formed with an opening to receive the bulb of a light fixture therethrough, an upstanding collar on said top wall surrounding said opening for securing said housing to the fixture, said front wall being formed with a window, seat means in the housing adjacent said window, an indiciasupporting frame engaged in said seat means, transparent indicia-carrying elements removably mounted in said frame, said bottom wall being formed with a relatively large aperture, respective resilient supporting rods arranged transversely in the main housing adjacent its end walls, means securing the forward ends of said rods to said bottom wall, a vertical loop on the rear end of each rod and located adjacent said rear wall, said bottom wall being formed with slots through which said loops are engageable responsive to downward flexure of the rods, and an auxiliary indicia-bearing member suspended on said loops beneath the rear portion of said housing, whereby said auxiliary member may be illuminated by light passing through said apertures.

3. An illuminable changeable sign device comprising a main housing having a top wall, front and rear walls, end walls and a bottom wall, said top wall being formed with an opening to receive the bulb of a light fixture therethrough, an upstanding collar on said top wall around said opening for securing said housing to the light fixture, said front wall being formed with a window, a plurality of generally L-shaped supports secured in said housing adjacent one margin of said window, a fastening clip pivoted to the opposite margin of said window, an indicia-supporting frame engaged in said support, said fastening clip being engageable with said frame to retain the frame in said support, transparent indicia-carrying elements removably mounted in said frame, said bottom wall being formed with a relatively large aperture, respective" resilient supporting'r'od's arranged transversely in the main housing adjacent its end walls, means securing the forward ends of said rods to said bottom wall, a vertical loop on the rear end of each rod located adjacent said rear wall, said bottom wall being formed with slots through which said loops are engageable responsive to down- 5 ward fiexure of the rod, and a plurality of auxiliary indicia-bearing members suspended in a common vertical plane on said loops beneath the rear portion of said hous ing and beneath said last-named aperture, whereby said auxiliary members may be illuminated by light passing 10 through said aperture.

- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reed Nov. 1, 1892 Ehnborn Feb. 14, 1922 Weiss Mar. 25, 1924 Clemons Sept. 13, 1927 Barnes Nov. 18, 1930 Weber Oct. 29, 1935 Wagner Aug. 19, 1952 Sheinbart Apr. 13, 1954 

